Water meters and its uses by Mohd Kashif

Water meter
a device used for water metering and water conservation

1. WATER METER

2. INTRODUCTION Our homes are becoming smarter each day. The amount of connected devices increases everyday. We can easily know and control the temperature of our home. We can also switch on and off any light with  Switch mate, control all our devices and keep an eye at home when we are away with  Flare. But we needed something to learn and know more about how to control on water.

3. WATER METER A water meter is a device that measures how much water you use. It is similar to your gas or electricity meter. Your supplier uses readings from the meter to calculate how much to charge you for your water and sewerage services. If you have ameter, the amount you pay will depend on how much water you have used. Several types of water meters are currently being used. However, the choice depends on the accuracy requirements, the required flow rates, the end user and flow measurement method.

4. Why are meters important ? Water meters are important to a utility for several reasons: 1 . They make it possible to charge customers in proportion to the amount of water they use. 2 . They allow the system to demonstrate accountability. 3 . They are fair for all customers because they record specific usage. 4 . They encourage customers to conserve water (especially as compared to flat rates). 5 . They allow a utility system to monitor the volume of finished water it puts out. 6 . They aid in the detection of leaks and waterline breaks in the distribution system. A system without meters is like a taxi without a fare counter. Without a meter.

5. Flow meters and Water Utilities Water  utilities are one of the major users of flow meters, using the technology every day to ensure that their customers are billed properly based on their actual usage. These flow meters, commonly referred to as water meters, are placed at points along the water utility infrastructure where the lines branch out to provide services to residential and business customers. Water meters can also be used at other points in the utility system. For example, flow meters can be used in the larger part of the infrastructure to ensure that the rate of flow is as expected. This helps identify issues in the utility owned lines such as leaks or breaks. They can also be used to monitor the rate of flow from a well or other water source.

6. WATER METERING Water metering is the process of measuring water use. In many developed countries water meters are used to measure the volume of water used by residential and commercial buildings that are supplied with water by a public water supply system. Water meters can also be used at the water source, well, or throughout a water system to determine flow through a particular portion of the system. In most of the world water meters measure flow in cubic metres (m3) or litres

7. Types of metering devices There are two common approaches to flow measurement and displacement and velocity, each making use of a variety of technologies. Common displacement designs include oscillating piston and nutating disc meters. Velocity-based designs include single- and multi-jet meters and turbine meters. Displacement Water Meter Velocity measurement Water Meter

8. Displacement water meters With  this type of meter, a known quantity of liquid within a small unit moves with the flow of water. They operate by repeatedly filling and emptying the unit. The flow rate of water is calculated based on the number of times the unit is filled and emptied. The meter also includes a piston or disc that triggers the motion of gears for recording the volume of liquid exiting the meter. These meters exhibit high accuracy over a wide range of flow rates, and they are sensitive to low flow rates. PD meters are generally very accurate at the low-to-moderate flow rates typical of residential and small commercial users, and commonly range in size from 5/8" to 2". Because displacement meters require that all water flows through the meter to "push" the measuring element,

9. Velocity water meters A velocity-type meter measures the velocity of flow through a meter of a known internal capacity. The speed of the flow can then be converted into volume of flow to determine the usage. There are several types of meters that measure water flow velocity, including jet meters (single-jet and multi-jet), turbine meters, propeller meters and mag meters. Most velocity-based meters have an adjustment vane for calibrating the meter to the required accuracy. Types of Velocity Meters 1- Multi-jet meters 2- Turbine meters 3- Compound meters 4- Electromagnetic meters 5- Ultrasonic meters

10. Multi-jet meters Multi-jet meters are very accurate in small sizes and are commonly used in ⅝" to 2" sizes for residential and small commercial users. Multi-jet meters use multiple ports surrounding an internal chamber to create multiple jets of water against an impeller, whose rotation speed depends on the velocity of water flow . Turbine meters Turbine meters are less accurate than displacement and jet meters at low flow rates, but the measuring element does not occupy or severely restrict the entire path of flow. The flow direction is generally straight through the meter , allowing for higher flow rates and less pressure loss than displacement-type meters . compound meter A compound meter is used where high flow rates are necessary, but where at times there are also smaller rates of flow that need to be accurately measured. Compound meters have two measuring elements and a check valve to regulate flow between them. At high flow rates, water is normally diverted primarily or completely to the high flow element . Magnetic flow meters Magnetic flow meters , commonly referred to as "mag meters", are technically a velocity-type water meter, except that they use electromagnetic properties to determine the water flow velocity, rather than the mechanical means used by jet and turbine meters . Ultrasonic water meters Ultrasonic water meters use one or more ultrasonic transducer to send ultrasonic sound waves through the fluid to determine the velocity of the water. Since the cross-sectional area of the meter body is a fixed and known value , when the velocity of water is detected, the volume of water passing through the meter can be calculated with very high accuracy. Because water density changes with temperature, most ultrasonic water meters also measure the water temperature as a component of the volume calculation.

11. Selecting a Meter Meters are selected using several factors: flow rate, size of pipe, pressure loss and safety considerations, such as fire service regulations. For sizes of one inch and smaller and low flow rates, positive displacement types of meters are common. For residential uses, 5/8” or 3/4” meters are used. For medium flows, such as in apartment buildings, businesses, and public buildings, positive displacement meters in sizes of 1”, 11/2”, or two inches are used. In sizes of two and three inches, either, displacement, multi-jet, or turbine types of meters can be used. In the three- to four-inch size range, the meter type depends on the average flow rate. If the flow rate is between five and 35 percent of maximum flow rate, the positive displacement type is better. If the flow rates are going to be 10 to 15 percent of the maximum capacity, a turbine type should be used. If close accuracy at low flows is important, but large flows also have to be measured, a compound meter is best.

12. Water Meter Reading A standard water meter uses two common types of registers - straight and circular - to read the flow of water in cubic feet or inches. The registers can be observed on the surface of the meter. The straight registers can be read like an odometer in a car. On some larger meters, a multiplier will be present on the register face, which can be noted as 10x, 100x, or 1000x based on the size of the meter. Circular registers, on the other hand, are more complex to calculate water usage. They employ a series of dials marked with divisions of ten. There are several ways of reading the water meter, which includes: Direct reading Remote reading, which is accomplished via an electronic signal using a wire where one can either directly read or touch read. Touch read or plug-in reading that employs a handheld device which acquires the electronic signal by touching the remote station or plugging-in. The signal is then translated into the readings that are stored in the handheld device. Automatic meter reading, in which the meter reader obtains readings through radio transmission.

13. Applications Given below are some of the major uses of water meter: It detects water leaks in the distribution network It identifies potential well, pump or irrigation system problems It determines efficiency of a water plant for supplying water.

14. Benefits The benefits of metering are that: in conjunction with volumetric pricing it provides an incentive for water conservation, it helps to detect water leaks in the distribution network, thus providing a basis for reducing the amount of non-revenue water; it is a precondition for quantity-targeting of water subsidies to the poor.

15. Costs While the cost of purchasing residential meters is low, the total life cycle costs of metering are high. For example, retrofitting flats in large buildings with meters for every flat can involve major and thus costly plumbing work. The costs of metering include : Investment costs to purchase, install and replace meters , Recurring costs to read meters and issue bills based on consumption instead of bills based on monthly flat fees .

16. Problems Problems associated with metering arise particularly in the case of intermittent supply, which is common in many developing countries. Sudden changes in pressure can damage meters to the extent that many meters in cities in developing countries are not functional. Also, some types of meters become less accurate as they age, and under-registering consumption leads to lower revenues if defective meters are not regularly replaced. Many types of meters also register air flows, which can lead to over-registration of consumption, especially in systems with intermittent supply, when water supply is re-established and the incoming water pushes air through the meters.

17. Where will the water meter be fitted? We normally fit the water meter inside your home free of charge (on the water supply pipe, which is the pipe which brings water into your home). If we cannot fit the meter inside your home, we will fit it outside instead (in some instances a purpose made meter box may already exist outside your home - if this is the case we would fit the meter in this box). We will visit your home to carry out a survey to decide on the best place to fit the meter. We will try our best to fit your meter during this visit, but we may have to come back again if this isn’t possible. As the meter needs to be attached to your water supply pipe (which is often found under the kitchen sink), we may ask you to move certain items so that we can do this (such as any white goods that might be blocking the water supply pipe, wood panelling etc ). We can do minor joinery work when we fit your meter, and will always make sure you are h appy about this before we start any work.

18. Water Meter Standards

19. Plumbing

20. External Pressure: if a foreign body other than the water from your main water supply has entered the system, say excess street water following heavy rains, a flood, or there is some debris mixed with the water that is stronger than the flow of the mains system, it can cause the standard water flow to get distorted and the added pressure can cause the valve to burst, break or come off.  Backflow Valves  If the backflow valves in the mains water supply system are not functioning correctly and there is a chemical plant or industry of some sort located in the vicinity you run the risk of having your main water supply polluted. This is also true of situations where people have small workshops on their residential premises that are connected to the main supply. Hazards of Backflow Valves Malfunctioning

21. Simple ways to save water 1. Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth. A running tap wastes more than six litres of water a minute. 2 . Make sure that your washing machine and dishwasher (if you have one) are full before you use them. Try to use the most water and energy efficient settings. 3 . Fix a dripping tap. This can save as much as 75 litres of water a day. 4 . Use a bowl to wash up rather than leaving the hot tap running. You could save about 3500/- a year on your energy bills. 5 . Install a water butt. The average rooftop collects 85,000 litres of water every year. A water butt is a great way to put some of this to use. 6 . Check the overflow on your toilet cistern to make sure it is not using more water than necessary

22. End Of Presentation Thank You For Listening Group No. 1 Mohd Kashif Syed Haris Nawazish Ansari Juned Ahmad Mohd Shadan Khan Mohd Nazeef Khan Syed Abuzar Md Junaid Ali Basharat Ali Muneez Mushtaq Shah B.Arch 2 nd Year/ Building Services